Drive your hips upward against a barbell to perform hip extension, primarily working the glute muscles.
How to do the Hip Thrust (Barbell)#
- Sit with your upper back resting on a bench and the barbell resting across your hips; place your feet flat with knees roughly above your heels.
- Brace your core and press through your heels to lift your hips until your torso and thighs form a straight line.
- Hold a brief contraction at the top while squeezing the glutes without overarching the lower back.
- Lower your hips under control back to the start position, keeping tension in the glutes throughout the descent.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Glutes
- Secondary: Hamstrings, Quads, Abs, Lower back
Common mistakes#
- Relying on lumbar extension instead of glute contraction to reach the top.
- Positioning the feet too far forward or too close, so knees aren’t stacked over the heels.
- Stopping short of full hip extension and not squeezing at the top.
- Pushing primarily through the toes rather than through the heels.
